Electric filling stop motion for narrow ware looms



Sept. 1, 1953 L. o. WATERHOUSE 2,650,624

ELECTRIC FILLING STOPMOTION FOR NARROW WARE LOOMS Filed Jan. 10, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR LEWIS O. WATERHOUSE ATTORNEY.

p 1953- L. o. WATERHOUSE 2,550,624

ELECTRIC FILLING STOP MOTION FQR NARROW WARE LOOMS Filed Jan; 10, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR LEWIS O.WATERHOUSE ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 1, 1953 UNITED STATES TENT OFFICE ELECTRIC FILLING STOP MOTION FOR NARRUW WARE LOOMS Application January 10, 1952, Serial No. 265,775

12 Claims. 1

This invention relates to improvements in filling stop motions for narrow ware looms and it is the general object of the invention to provide simple means by which a faulty condition of weft or filling in any shuttle in the loom can be made to stop the loom through electrical means.

Narrow ware looms ordinarily operate with a number of shuttles which are positively reciprocated 'endwise of the lay, moving through their warp sheds while the lay is in the rear part of its motion and being located in shuttle blocks on the lay when the lay is in the forward part of its motion. Each shuttle carries a supply of filling which is delivered from the front of the shuttle and extends first to one side of the corresponding fabric and then to the other side thereof. Due partly at least to the large number of shuttles and threads encountered in narrow ware looms no very satisfactory stop motion has gone into use for stopping such a loom in the event that the thread of any shuttle is in improper condition for weaving, such as being broken, depleted, or slack.

it is an important object of the present invention to provide loom stopping mechanism including a contact bar extending in front of the lay and having switches mounted thereon for angular motion to electrically connect two electrodes on the bar whenever any switch is rocked by a detector of the corresponding shuttle.

It is a further object of the invention to make the bar preferably of insulating material and provide the same with circular bearings in which the switches are angularly movable. Movement of any switch mayconveniently be effected by an actuator arm extending from it into the path traversed by the detector of the corresponding shuttle when the detector is in indicating position.

Certain types of narrow ware looms employ upper and lower decks of shuttles so that weaving operations are carried on at two different levels in the loom. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a contact bar intermediate the two decks and mount on it switches certain of which cooperate with the detectors of the upper deck of shuttles and others of which cooperate with detectors of the lower deck of shuttles. By this arrangement a single contact bar can be made to serve for two decks of shuttles and an improper condition existing in the filling of any shuttle in either deck can be utilized to connect the electrodes of the contact bar for the purpose of stopping the loom.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood reference is made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate by way of example the two embodiments of the invention and in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of part of a narrow ware loom having a single deck of shuttles showing the preferred form of the invention applied thereto,

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view looking in the direction of arrow 2, Fig. 1, showing the detector in non-indicating position,

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section transverse of the contact bar taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a horizontal longitudinal section taken on line 44, Fig. 3,

Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing one of the electric switches,

Fig. 6 is a perspective fragmentary view showing part of the contact bar and setting forth a bearing for cooperation with a switch,

Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic view showing a shuttle detector in indicating position and the corresponding switch in the positions which they 00- cupy at the beginning of a rocking movement of the switch,

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7 but showing the switch moved to the position in which it contacts both of the electrodes,

Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic view of electrically controlled stopping means which may be used with the invention,

Fig. 10 is an enlarged diagrammatic view showing the contact bar and one of the switches in normal position,

Fig. 11 is a view similar to a part of Fig. l but showing the modified form of the invention wherein the contact bar is common to upper and lower decks of shuttles,

Fig. 12 is an enlarged vertical section on line lZ-ii, Fig. 11, and

Fig. 13 is a diagrammatic view similar to Fig. Hi showing two switches in normal position, one for the upper deck of shuttles and the other for the lower deck of shuttles.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, the breast beam of the loom is indicated at l and the backwardly and forwardly reciprocating lay is indicated at 2. Secured to and extending upwardly from the lay is a set of aligned shuttle blocks 3 which are spaced from each other to provide room for the beat-up reeds 4. A gang of shuttles s are shown in Fig. 1 in the position which they occupy after they have moved through their respective warp sheds and are in the shuttle blocks to the right of the corresponding fabrics. It is to be understood that in the operation of the loom each shuttle will leave the shuttle block in which it is temporarily located at one side of its fabric as the lay moves rearwardly, pass through its warp shed, and then move into the shuttle block on the opposite side of the warp shed and be in thel'atter shuttle block as the lay beats up. The direction of motion is reversed on the next reciprocation of the lay so that the shuttles are alternately in shuttle block first to the right and then to the left of their respective fabrics.

One of the shuttles is shown in Fig. 2 and is provided with a filling thread carrying quill 5 rotatable on a pin 6 mounted in the shuttle and delivering a thread T which passes successively through thread eyes I, 8 and 9- and. then leads forwardly to the bow part ll] of the shuttle and emerges through a weft detector D. In the present instance the detector comprises a normally closed coil weak spring i I one end of which is held to the bow part l0 of the shuttle and is provided with an eye 12 andthe other end of which is free to' move laterally with respect to the shuttle and is provided; with a second eye l3.

As shown in Fig. 2 the shuttle has moved to the right of the fabric corresponding to it so that the thread T' in passing through the spring It and being held by the fabric at its left deflects the spring laterally to'the left, this being the non-indicating position of the detector'D. On the next beat of the loom the shuttle will be on the opposite side of its fabric and the spring I! will be deflected to the right, provided the thread T is in proper condition for weaving. If for any reason the condition of the thread becomes improper or defective, as by slackness, exhaustion, or breakage, no lateral force will be exerted on the spring H and the latter will extend forwardly in its indicating position as suggested in Fig. 7.

It is to be understood that the detector D is shown for illustrative purpose as a means on the shuttle which can indicate-whether the thread of the shuttle is in proper or improper condition for weaving, but the invention to be set. forth hereinafter is not necessarily limited to the type of detector shown herein,

In carrying the preferred form of invention into effect the loom is provided with a contact bar C extending in front of the lay and substantially parallel thereto and supported by right and left stands and 2|, respectively, asviewed in Fig. l. The contact bar has a body 22'which is preferably formed of insulating material, such for instance as wood, and is provided on the opposite lengthwise sides thereofwith two grooves 23 and 24. A live electrode 25 is located in groove 23 and a grounded electrode 26 is located in the groove 24.

The supports 20 and 2i are each provided with a bushing 36 made of insulating material and engaging both of theelectrodes 24 and 26 to hold them in place on the contact bar. Each bushing may be secured to its stand by a cap 3| held in place by bolts 32.

The contact bar is provided with a plurality of switches which are angularly movable on it. These switches are alike and only one of them will be described in detail. As set forth in Fig. 5, the switch has a parti-cylindrical bearing part 36 which partly encircles the contact bar and is formed with a free end 3'! and has an actuator means or arm 38 which extends away from the contact bar. The parts 36 and 38 of the switch may be integral and made of resilient sheet metal. The free end 31 is preferably formed with an offset or crimp 39 which extends inwardly a slight amount toward the center of the part 36 to occupy a lengthwise groove 46 in the contact bar when the switch is in normal position.

The contact bar is provided with a peripheral groove 4! and a circular bearing 42 for each switch 35. As seen in Fig. 6 the bearing defines side walls 43, andgroove 4| exposes parts of both electrodes. The part 36 of each switch can be sprung to slide over the contact bar and then fit into its groove. 41 and contract to frictionally grip its bearing 42. The parti-cylindrical part 36 of each switch is provided with a circumferential slot 44 throughwhich extends a stop screw 65' projecting into and secured to the contact bar- The walls 43 serve to guide the switches and locate them longitudinally along the length of the contact bar. The peripheral grooves 52 preferably locate the switches in front of the shuttle blocks.

Under normal, conditions all of the switches will be in their open position in which the free ends 3'! will be above the live contact 25 and. the crimps 39 will be in the groove 46 to hold the switches in a stable condition relative to the contact bar but permit the parti-cylindrical parts 36 to rock or turn on the bearings 42. If all of the threads of the several shuttles are in proper condition their detectors D will be deflected as the lay heats up and the detectors will not be ableto engage any of the actuator means or arms 38 and the electrodes 25 and 26 will remain electrically unconnected.

If, however, the thread of any shuttle is in improper condition for weaving the corresponding detector will project forwardly from the shuttle as the lay beats up and the associated depending arm 38-wi1l be in the path traversed by the detector, as suggested for instance in Fig. 7. As the lay continues to move forwardly the detector D will move the arm 38 forwardly or to the right to the position shown in Fig. 8 and in doing so will cause the parti-cylindrical part of the switch to turn angularly around the corresponding bearing 42 until the free end 3? engages the live electrode 25, thereby moving the switch to its stopping position. The grounded electrode 26 is preferably in contact with all of the switches at all times, and whenever any switch moves to the position shown in Fig. 3 it electrically connects the two electrodes 25 and 26.

Loom controlling means suggested diagrammatically in Fig. 9 thereuponbecomes operative to stop the loom. A cam. 45 turned by the loom periodically rocks a lever 46. This lever is provided for cooperation with a link 41 pivoted on a knockoff lever. 49 and under control of a core 56 of a solenoid 5i. Thesolenoid has one side thereof connected to a shipper controlled switch 52 one side of which is grounded by wire 53 and has the other side thereof connected to a source of electric power such, as a transformer T. The latter is connected to the live electrode 25 and the electrode 26 is grounded by wire 56.

Ordinarily the solenoid is deenergized and the link is in low position to be out of the path of the lever 46, but whenever the circuit shown in Fig. 9 is closed by electric connection of both electrodes by any of the switches the solenoid is energized to lift link into the path of lever i6 .and as the latter, rocks in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 9 it will act through the link to move the knock-off lever 49 to the right to effect loom stoppage and opening of switch 52. The weaver can then correct the defective thread, the location of which will be indicated by the correspending arm 38 which will be forward of the other arms 38. After the thread has been restored to proper condition the arm 38 of the previously moved switch can be returned manually to its normal open position to disconnect the electrodes, the latter part of this motion of the switch being accompanied by entry of the crimp 39 into the groove 40. Whenever a switch is moved to its stopping position it will remain in that position even though the lay should move rearwardly, and the solenoid will remain energized until lever 46 moves lever 49.

The modified form of the invention may conveniently be applied to a loom having a so-called double deck lay. As shown in Fig. llthe lay G is provided with an upper set of shuttle blocks 6! and a lower set 62 and the loom has an upper deck of shuttles SU and a lower deck SL. The shuttles may be reciprocated in a manner similar to that already described in connection with the preferred form of the invention, the two sets of shuttles performing weaving operations at two levels in the loom.

In the modified form of the invention there is provided a single contact bar Cl which may be mounted in a manner similar to the mounting of contact bar C, but is located intermediate the upper and lower decks SU and SL. The contact bar CI may be similar to contact bar C except that it has mounted thereon two sets of switches one of which has upwardly extending actuator means or arms 63 for the detectors of the upper deck of shuttles, while the other switches have depending actuator arms 64 for the detectors of the lower deck of shuttles.

It is customary in double deck looms to have the upper shuttle blocks located overthe lower reeds 65, and similarly the lower blocks are under the upper reeds 66. It is for this reason that the switches for the upper deck can be offset lengthwise of the contact bar C! with respect to the switches for the lower deck, as suggested in Fig. 11.

The manner of operation of the modified form of the invention is similar to that already described for the preferred form except that contact bar Ci has an additional lengthwise groove 6! to receive the offset or crimps 39 of the switches provided for the upper deck of shuttles. It will be apparent from Fig. 12 also that the switches for the upper deck of shuttles will rock in a clockwise direction so that their free ends 37 will move up into engagement with the electrode 25, while the switches for the lower deck will turn in a counterclockwise direction and have their free ends 3'! moved downwardly into contact with the live electrode.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the invention sets forth simple means whereby a series of switches are supported for rotation on a contact bar extending lengthwise of the loom in front of the lay and each switch can be turned on the bar to electrically connect a pair of electrodes whenever the filling of the corresponding shuttle is in improper condition for weaving. The switches are normally in contact with the ground ed electrode only and there is therefore no danger of shock to the weaver if he should accidentally touch an actuator switch arm 38. It will also be seen that the body of the contact bar is preferably made of insulating material having lengthwise electrode containing slots and having also peripheral grooves defining walls which position the switches lengthwise of the contact bar. The stop screw 45 for each switch passes through the corresponding circumferential slot 44 and limits angular motion of the parti-cylindrical part 36 of the switch around the contact bar. In the modified form of the invention a single contact bar is made to serve both the upper and lower decks of shuttles and the switches for these two decks may be the same except that in one case the actuator arms 38 extend upwardly and in the other case they extend downwardly.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, what is claimed is:

1. In filling stop means for a narrow ware loom having a backwardly and forwardly reciprocating lay provided with a plurality of shuttles reciprocable on the lay lengthwise thereof, a contact bar comprising two electrodes insulated from each other extending substantially parallel to and forward of the lay, a filling detector on each shuttle in non-indicating position during forward motion of the lay provided the filling of the shuttle is in proper condition for weaving but in indicating position if the filling is in improper condition, an electric switch for each shuttle mounted on the contact bar for angular movement thereon in the direction of back and forth movement of the lay normally in a position incapable of electrically connecting said electrodes but rockable on said bar to a stopping position to electrically connect said electrodes, each detector when in the indicating position thereof during forward movement of the lay being eifective to cause rocking of the associated switch from the normal position thereof to the stopping position thereof, and loom controlling means effective due to electric connection of said electrodes by any switch to stop the loom.

2. The filling stop means set forth in claim 1 wherein each switch partly encircles the contact bar and is made of resilient material which grips the contact bar and due to the resilience thereof tends to remain in any angular position on the bar to which it is moved.

3. The filling stop means set forth in claim 1 wherein the contact bar is the sole support for said switches.

4. In filling stop means for a narrow ware loom having a backwardly and forwardly reciprocating lay provided with a plurality of shuttles reciprocable on the lay lengthwise thereof, a contact bar comprising two electrodes insulated from each other extending substantially parallel to and forward of the lay, a filling detector on each shuttle in non-indicating position during forward motion of the lay provided the filling of the shuttle is in proper condition for weaving but in indicating position if the filling is in improper condition, an electric switch for each shuttle mounted on the contact bar for angular movement thereon in the direction of back and forth movement of the lay normally in a position incapable of electrically connecting said electrodes but rockable on said bar to a stopping position to electrically connect said electrodes, actuator means for each switch for cooperation with the corresponding detector, provided the latter is in the indicating position thereof during forward motion of the lay, to move the associated switch to stopping position, and loom controlling means 7 oirective due to electric connection of said electrodes by any switch to stop the'loom.

5. The filling stop means setforth in claim 4 wherein the actuatormeans for each switch is an integral part thereof andextends in a direction away from the contact bar into the path traversed by the corresponding detector-When the latter is in indicating position.

6. The filling stop means set forth in claim 4 wherein the actuator means is an integral part of the switch and one electrode is grounded and the other is alive and the switch normally engages the grounded electrode only and is out of contact with the live electrode.

7. In filling stop meansfor a narrow ware loom having a backwardly and forwardly reciprocating lay provided with a plurality of shuttle blocks to guide shuttles reciprocable on the la lengthwise thereof, a filling detector on each shuttle which is in non-indicating position on the shuttle during forward movement of the lay provided the filling of the shuttle is in proper condition for weaving but is in indicating position if the filling is in improper condition, a contact car forward of and substantially parallel to the lay including two electrodes insulated from each other extending along the loar, a plurality of circular hearings on the bar in each of which both of said electrodes are exposed, one bearing for each shuttle block on the lay, a rotary switch in each hearing normally in position to be incapable of electrically connecting said electrodes but rockable in the hearing therefor to stopping position to electrically connect the exposed parts of said electrodes in the bearing, actuator means associated with each switch for cooperation with the corresponding detector, provided the latter is in indicating position during forward motion of the lay, to move the switch to stoppingposition, and loom controlling means effective due to electric connection of said electrodes by any switch to stop the loom.

8. The filling stop means set forth in claim 7 wherein each of said bearings is formed by peripheral grooves in the contact bar defining walls which position the corresponding switch along the contact bar.

9. The filling stop means set forth in claim 7 wherein said hearings are formed b peripheral grooves in the contact bar and each switch is made of resilient material and has a particylindrical part which can be sprung to slide over the contact bar and then contract to frictionally grip the bearing therefor.

10. In filling stop means for a narrow ware loom having a backwardly and forwardly reciprocating lay provided with'upper and lower decks of shuttleswhichreciprocate on the lay lengthwise thereof, a filling detector on each shuttle which is in non-indicating position if the filling of the shuttle is in proper condition for weaving but is in indicating-position if the filling is in improper condition as the lay moves forwardly, a contact bar forward of the lay extending lengthwise of the loom and vertically intermediate of said upper and lower decks of shuttles and including two electrodes insulated from each other extending therealong, a plurality of electric switches on said contact bar normally in a position incapable of electrically connecting said electrodes but each movable to stopping position to connect both of said electrodes electrically, certain of said switches for the upper deck of shuttles and other of the switches for the lower deck of shuttles, the detector of any shuttle in either deck of shuttles when in indicating position as the lay moves forwardly being efiective to move the corresponding switch to stopping position to electrically connect said electrodes, and loom controlling means effective due to electric connection of said electrodes to stop the loom.

11. The filling stop means set forth in claim 10 wherein said switches are mounted for angular motion on the contact bar and certain of said switches have upwardly extending actuator arms to cooperate with the detectors of the upper deck of shuttles and other of the switches have downwardly extending actuator arms to cooperate with the detectors of the lower deck of shuttles.

12. The filling stop means set forth in claim 1'] wherein said switches are mounted for angular motion on the contact bar and all of said switches are in contact with one of said electrodes for all angular positions of the switches and the switches corresponding to the upper deck of shuttles move to stopping position in one angular direction relative to the contact bar and the switches corresponding to the lower deck of shuttles move to stopping position in the opposite angular direc tion relative to the contact bar.

LEWIS 0. WATERHOUSE.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,355,458 Holmes Aug. 22, 1944 2,512,428 Hutchins June 20, 1950 2,557,533 Corl June 19, 1951 2,565,043 Pruitt Aug. 21, 1951 

